Target-practice attachment for firearms.



PATENTED MAR. 24, 1908.

J. M. CLARK, s1). TARGET PRACTICE ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 8, 1906.

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x m r I W UNITED sT-Arns PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES M. CLARK, 31), OF ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD '10 '11 1031A F. WILLIAMS, OF ATTLEBORO, MASSACHUSETTS.

TARGET-PRACTICE ATTACHMENT FOR FIREARMS Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented March 24, 1908.

. Application filed September 8, 1906. Srial No.333,823.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES M. CLARK, 3d, a citizen of the United States, residing at Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Target-Practice Attachments for Firearms, of which the following is afspecification This. i vgntion has reference to an improveni'e tj n target practice attachments for small firearms; such as rifles, carbines or the bore 7 and having the enlarged carmuskcts.

Target practice wlth small firearms as heretofore accomplished required the use of an outdoor or indoor range of considerable length and also the use of regulation or special cartridges. The first of these requirements is sometimes prohibitive and the use of cartrid s is expensive and at times, or in certain p aces, Ob ectionable on account of the resultant noise from the use of the same.

The object of my invention is to improve the construction of a target practice attachment for rifles, carbines, musket-s or similar firearms whereby the use in target practice of a regularrange and ammunition with the resulting expense and noise is eliminated.

A further object of my invention is to construct the attachment and target in such proportions that the target at a short distance rom the muzzle of the gun will appear to the eye the same size as a regulation target would appear at a certain distance usually required in target shooting.

My invention consists in the peculiar and novel construction of a target practice attachment for firearms, such as rifles, carbincs or muskets, said attachment being adapted for use in the barrel of the firearm, actuated by the firing bolt or hammers of the gun and having details of construction, as will be more fully set forth hereinafter and claimed.

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of a repeating rifle provided with my improved target practice attachment. 2 is a side view of the attachment removed from the rifle. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken lengthwise through the breech end of the attachment. Fig. 1 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken lengthwise through the muzzle end of the attaclnnent, and Fig. 5 is a face view of a target used in connection with the attachment.

take-downpattcrn, I) my improved target practice attachment, and c a target used in conjunction with the attachment I). The rifle a has the usual barrel 6 in which is the bore 7 terminating at the breech end in the cartridge chamber 8, the fore sight 9, the rear sight 10, the firing bolt 11, and pin 12, trigger 13, and stock 14, as shown in Fig. 1. The target practice attachment 1) consists of a cylindrical-tube 15 approximately the length and diameter of and adapted to fit in tridge-shape breech end 16 with the annular lip 17 adapted to fit in the cartridge chamber 8, the internal bushing 18 with the central hole 19 adjacent the breech end 16, the internal stop bushing 20 having the central hole 21 adjacent the muzzle end 22, a light rod 23 extending the length of the tube 15 through the holes 19 and 21 in the bushin s 18 and 20 and constructed to have a bar ened pin 24 removably secured in the breech end of the rod, a fixed collar 25 on the rod centrally between the bushings l8 and 20, a

screw-threaded muzzle end 26 to which is se-.

recess 28 in its outer end, a contra needle 29 surrounded by' a ringof soft rubber 30 secured in the recess 28 and extending htly beyond the point of the needle 29 anda ht coiled hpring 31 on the rod 23, one end of which engages with the stop bushing 20 and the opposite end with the fixed collar 25 on the rod 23, as shown in Fi s. 1, 3 and 4. The target 0 has the usual bufis eye 32 with the concentric rings 33 33 and anauxiliary bulls eye 34 placed on avertical line above the bulls eye 32, as shown in Fig. 5, the distance between the bulls eyes 32 and 34 being equal to the distance from the center of the needle 29 to the point of the fore sight 9 from which the sight is taken, as-shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the use of ,the attachment the gun is taken apart and the attachment inserted into the bore 7 of the barrel 6 through the- In the drawings, a indicates a rifle of the iltion to a backing-whichmay be faced wlth a I sheet of soft rubber to prevent injury to the needle 29. The shooter now takes the rifle in the usual way, draws back the bolt 11 and faces the target at a distance from the target which is such that by stretching-out his arms the muzzle of the rifle will touch the target. The rifle is now drawn'back into the usual firin position. with the butt against the shou der, thus bringing the muzzle of the gun six or eight inches from the target, the gun sighted at the upper bulls e e 34 on the target, and the trigger 13 p ed, which re leasing the bolt 11 causes the firing pin 12 on the bolt to strike a blow on the pin 24 on the. end of the rod and forces the rod out of the muzzle end of the barrel against the tension of the sprin 31 and with sufficient force to cause the nee le 29 to strike and pierce the target a, compressing the rubber spring 30, which prevents injury to the target and expanding after the blow assists the coiled spring 31 in drawing the needle out of thetarget and returning the rod 23 to its normal position in the gun. If the aim of the shooter is accurateat the bulls eye 34, the needle 29 will pierce the lower bulls eye 32.

By the use'of m improved target practice attachment for ri es or similar fire arms, a

' regulation rifle may be quickly'converted into a rifle which may be used for target practice without the use of ammunition and,

as quickly converted back into a rifle in which ammuntion ma. be used, without changing or altering t e rifle in any way whatsoever. V x

It is evident that the breech endof the rod 23 may be dished to receive the end of the firing pin 12; the target roportioned to correspond with fine or in l sights'or to correspond in size to the regulation targets as t ey would appear to the eye at different distances, or the tar et could be used in a reverse position if esired without materially afiecting the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters to be thrown outward by'the action 0 the firing mechanism of the fire arm, a coiled spring on the rod adapted to return the rod to its normal position, and means on the outer end of the rod for indenturing or pie'rc ing a target, whereby a fire arm may be used;L

a target when actuated by the 3. In a fire arm, an automatic target practice attachment comprising, a tube adapted to removablv fit the bore and cartridge cham ber of the e arm, a rod reciprocally supported in the tube and ada ted to be thrown outward by the action of t e firing mechanism of the fire arm, a coiled spring on the rod adapted to return the rod to its normal position, and a needle on the outer end of the rod adapted to pierce a target, whereby a fire arm may be used for target practice without the use of ammunition and without altering the firearm.

4. The combination with a fire arm of a target practice attachment. 1) comprising a cylindrical tube 15 adapted to fit in'the bore of the fire arm and having an enlarged breech in the cartridge chamber of the fire arm, the internal fixed bushings l8 and 20 with the ing in the tube through the holes in the bushings and constructed to have a hardened pin 24 removablysecured in the breech end of the rod, a fixed collar 25 on the rod, a screw- 27 on the end 26, and having a circular recess 28 in the outer end, a-central needle 29 in the recess 28, a ring of soft rubber 30 in the recess surroundingthe needle 29 and extend- "ing slightly beyond the point of the needle, and a coiled spring 31 on the rod 23 one end of which engages with the fixed bushing 20 the rod 23, as described. 5. In attachments combination with a rigid rod adapted to be slidably mounted in the bore-of a gun in the path of the firing pin and provided with a target marking point at its end'opp'osite'the resist torward movement 0 the rod.

6. The combination with a rigid rod adaptgun in the path of the firing pin and provided with .a target marking point at the muzzle of the gun and with guide blocks fitting the inrod, and a spring to act between said stops and hold the rod in its rearmost position.

7.; The combination with a gun,.of a pointim act of the firing pin...

n testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. j p

. JAMES M. CLARK, 3RD. Witnesses:

ADA E. H enR rr, J. A'. MILLER.

for target practice Without the use of ammuend 16 with the annular lip 17 adapted to fit ed to be ,slidably mounted in the bore of a.

terior of the barrel, of a stop to be detachably. fixed to the barrel, a stop borne by the.

ed rod slidably mounted in its bore in the path of the firing pin, and a spring-yieldingly I resisting the advance of the 'rod under the central holes "19 and 21, a light rod 23 extend threaded muzzle end 26, a cylindrical head and the opposite end with the collar 25 on p for small arms, the

firing pin, of a spring adapted to yieldingly 

